Tate, who died on October 17, 2015, and was a magnetic personality on the chess scene with quite a fan following. His contribution to chess lies not merely in his level of play, or even his scintillating victories, but in his creation of unique ideas and inspiring dreams. The book chronicles his life, his challenges, his triumphs and his adventures, but also 35 of his games, fully annotated.

The 2017 World Cup is coming to a close and there are so many possibilities of how this could affect the Candidates tournament. Macauley Peterson actually discussed the possibilities of who could make the tournament.

Of particular interest is the question of how the Isle of Man could potentially affect the average ratings of Kramnik and Caruana, who were elminated from Tbilisi after losing 9.2 and 5.2 rating points respectively. The pair are currently both precisely 2793.8 on the live ratings. But for the Candidates, the average of the monthly ratings over the entire calendar 2017 are what matter.

As of today, if nothing else changed between now and December, the average rating list would be as follows:

MVL will most likely miss the rating cut-off and will try to get one of the two spots in Tbilisi. One thing is for sure… there will be no easy outs in these two matches as all are elite players. In these matches, they will be tough to predict. It would be interesting to see if players will play it safe in the classical and go for tiebreaks or try to be aggressive in the classical and steal the match.

In Aronian-MVL, both in great form and expect have their seconds working overtime to find a novelty. In So-Ding, the Chinese delegation is impressive and most likely are looking through So’s voluminous history. Many of the Chinese players still remain in Tbilisi to assist in that task. Both players still have a chance to qualify even if they don’t reach the finals.

The Netherlands is one such country that has a sizeable segment of its population from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Another significant group of migrants come from Suriname, a Dutch-speaking country that lies in northern part of South America. The country of 585,000 borders English-speaking Guyana on the west, French-speaking French Guiana on the east, and Portuguese-speaking Brazil on the south. In the chess world, Suriname may not be well-known, but has an active presence of chess in the country and competes in biennial Olympiad regularly.

Vines Weibolt is a native of Suriname and migrated to the Netherlands with her parents when she was 12 years old. She met her husband after moving back to Suriname and eventually they settled in the Netherlands where her son Sebastian Halfhide was born in 2001. He is an only child. Vines taught him chess at the age of eight and after he showed eagerness, she put him into a local club. Gradually he rose through the ranks as a promising junior and later was bestowed the status of “international talent” by the Dutch Chess Federation.

Sebastian earned his FM title shortly before his 16th birthday and missed IM norms by 1/2-point in Grenke 2016 and Copenhagen 2017. He continues to progress through the European circuit having played in a number of strong tournaments including Riga, Pardubice, Hastings, Gibraltar, Wijk aan Zee, Basel and Berlin. The summer he scored 7/10 at 2017 Xtracon Open in Denmark, drawing with GM Alexander Shabalov.

Sebastian attends Utrechts Stedelijk Gymnasium, an elite school for gifted students. At 16, he is due to graduate and plans to spend a year to pursue chess endeavors full-time before entering the university. His progress is not without tremendous sacrifices and there is little in the way of sponsorship for rising talents. Currently holding a 2343 FIDE rating, Sebastian hopes to get invitations to continue his progress.

When the curtains came down on the 2017 Jamaica Seniors and Veterans Championships (William Roper Memorial trophies) on Sunday, August 20 at the Jamaica Olympic Association there was a new Jamaica Veterans Champion. Seven-time Jamaica (Absolute) Champion and favourite FM Shane “The Magician” Matthews notched 7 points from a possible 8 (with 6 wins and 2 draws) to remain unbeaten and win the tournament outright and claim his first national Veterans title.

NM Geoffrey Byfield finished second (6.5 points), while dethroned two-time defending champion Ian Wilkinson QC was third (5.5 points). Finishing fourth was six-time Jamaica (Absolute) Champion IA CM Robert Wheeler (5 points) who retained his national Seniors title – his third crown in as many attempts.

Geoffrey Byfield (left) took 2nd place in the Seniors.
Photo Jamaican Chess Federation

Matthews and Wheeler have earned the right to be Jamaica’s official representatives at the World Senior Chess Championships set for Acqui Terme, Italy in November, 2017.

Fifth to ninth places in the 9-man field were Michael Diedrick, Markland Douglas, Eton Chin, Terence Lindo and Frederick Cameron, respectively.
The pairings, schedule and results can be found at the JCF’s website (www.jamchess.com) or on www.chess-results.com.

The tournament is named in honour of WILLIAM ROPER, one of the founding fathers of the JCF and its first Secretary when it was formed in 1969. An Attorney-at-Law, he was also a former Principal of the Norman Manley Law School and died at 83 years old on July 19, 2014.

It was a round-robin event over nine rounds at a time control of game in 90 minutes with increments of thirty seconds per move from the first move. It ran from August 5 to 20 with all nine rounds played at the JOA.

The event was sponsored by the Sports Development Foundation, the Kasparov Chess Foundation, the JOA and the JCF, respectively.

Brooklyn Master Shawn Martinez had mentioned that he battled with Daniel X Jones years ago. Martinez said that he got the better of Jones, who was rated 1700 at the time. Since then Jones has gotten noticeably stronger and is helping to lead a movement of team blitz chess. Coming off of a win against blitz phenom Tavon Carter, Martinez knew Jones would be coming into the match with soaring confidence. When the Chicago entourage arrived they were resolutely positive.

Video by Nathan Kelly

Chicago had come to iconic Brooklyn, two cities that Bobby Fischer has in common and proceeded to throw down a fierce gladiator battle. The hype was real in the buildup and the pre-match hype. Jones-Martinez had a boxing ring to it and the Kaulule-Harriott undercard didn’t disappoint. The matches had a bit of everything including controversy. First up, the Zambian against the Jamaican.

Kela Kaulule came to Chicago to visit a relative, but has found a home in the Chicago Chess Club. He was chosen as the player in an “undercard” match against National Master Tyrell Harriott. Going into the match, there was not the hype of the main event and Kela was very calm as usual. The match started with the Zambian winning the first two games, but of course, Harriott came fighting back. Kaulule had a small lead before a controversy threw the match in disarray.

The controversy occurred when Kaulule repeatedly adjusted pieces after hitting his clock. Kaulule confirmed this with The Chess Drum. It is apparently a habit developed over a long period of time. Club owner and organizer Christian Whitted intervened and penalties were assessed. Even after a 20-minute delay, the next game was delayed for the same issue. In fact, the ICC had seen enough and stopped relaying the games at 8.5-8.5. After the smoke cleared, a draw put the score at 9-9. Kaulule then closed the match with two wins.

Video by Nathan Kelly

NM Shawn Martinez rallies to beat Daniel X Jones 8-6

There were some technical difficulties in the match with the network connection and the DGT board managed from Atlanta by Frank Johnson. Chicago Chess Club’s Nathan Kelly was broadcasting the games on his cell phone, but the viewing quality was not of standard. There was a better angle for the games, but the connection was spotty at best. The team worked feverishly to correct the issue and should be commended.

The games were originally set to be broadcast at the Internet Chess Club, but the management cut the relay after the Kay Kaulule-Tyrell Harriott match became snarled in controversy. This meant that the main event would be seen only through DGT wifi relay.

Daniel X Jones (Chicago) and Shawn Martinez (New York)

The match was a seesaw affair with both players staying close until the end. Martinez held the lead early but the games were even at 2.5 after five games. Again, Brooklyn edged out to a lead before Chicago roared back to take a 5.5-3.5 lead. Jones secured the lead at the end of the 5-minute and 3-minute segments. It appeared that Martinez caught his groove and rallied to victory with 4.5 in last five games (one 3-minute, four 2-minute) for an 8-6 win.

The games finished in the wee hours of the morning and it was truly a gladiator battle. While the composite score in the two matches was 17-17, New York will win home court advantage with Martinez’s win. The technical issues will have to be improved for the NYC-CHI match, but the excitement is high and now the cities will prepare to battle in the fall.

The event has spawned possibilities and hopefully other cities will take note and join the action.

The time has arrived. After months of banter and trashtalk, this evening will mark a hotly-contest blitz battle featuring two marquee cities. Chicago Chess Blitzers, who are sponsored by the Chicago Chess Club, have begun the overture by traveling to Brooklyn. Daniel X Jones and Kay Kaulule were caught live on Flatbush Avenue and had a message for the audience… and for their opponents Shawn Martinez and Tyrell Harriott.

Video by Nathan Kelly

This comes after another video circulated on Facebook with New York players asserting their supremacy as a chess city. Of course, New York’s pedigree is unmatched as far as history, but that is happening now is the beginning of another tradition. With the growth of technology, it is possible to reach so many different corners of the chess community and the blitz community will be watching this with with their snacks.

“At the end of the day on September 9th, Shawn Martinez is going to handle business for New York and represent the truth about who’s better.”

~Christian Whitted, New York Chess & Games

New York had upped the stakes after this video featuring owner of New York Chess and Games, Christian Whitted sparring with Nathan Kelly, organizer and catalyst for Chicago Chess Club. Shawn, Donell and Chris also chimed in. It was a brutal assault. They referred to Chicago as “Chiraq,” a moniker coined by Brooklyn’s Spike Lee and seen as an insult by Chicagoans.

Kelly, a Brooklyn native, survived and held his ground, but Christian was also adamant. New York would win in a rout and be the victor in the September 9th match! So.. here we are… it’s September 9th! Who will it be? Who will win home court advantage for the upcoming New York-Chicago showdown? Will it be Shawn “The Silent Assassin” Martinez or Daniel “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Jones. New York is only big enough for one assassin. So gentleman… take your seats… shake hands… FIGHT!

Jacksonville lies at the northern tip of the state of Florida in the eastern corner. It is two hours from the capitol city of Tallahassee, but eight hours from Miami. So when the Florida State Championship was hosted, many players chose not to make the long trek northward. Despite there not being the usual Miami-based Grandmasters, the field had a number of strong players led by Colombian International Master Nelson Gamboa who incidentally, did not finish the schedule. Also in the field were two more Cuban nationals, FM Jorge Oquendo and FM Cesar Valido adding to a field of strong Floridan expats.

FM Ian Findlay hails from Alberta, Canada, but spends time in Florida. Findlay was a star of the 1980s University of Toronto teams that won three Pan-Am titles in 1979, 1980 and 1981. FM Corey Acor of Tampa rounded out the field of titled players. Ironically, there were three professors Dr. Jeremy Mandelkern (2190), Dr. Jindrich Zapletal (2285) and myself (2041) and the rest were school-aged boys. In fact 6th-grader Raghav Venkat (2154) scored three points drawing Findlay and Acor and beating Mandelkern.

In the end it was Oquendo who clinched the title with a thrilling last round win over Mandelkern. FM Cory Acor eclipsed 2400 for the first time after drawing with upstart Raghav Venkat and finishing with 4.5 points. Valido also finished with 4.5 after an interesting win over Findlay.

FM Cesar Valido trying to break through against Canadian FM Ian Findlay.
Photo by Daaim Shabazz

Theo Slade’s battle against the Benko Gambit ended in draw with Daaim Shabazz after white missed a couple of chances. The game ended in a dispute of a claimed three-fold repetition, but after a conference, the game was declared drawn. Photo by Kevin Pryor.

The 130 players came from all parts of Florida for the state championship. This was just off from the 140 the previous years and over 200 in the best years. The one-day scholastic tournament drew 31 school kids.

Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania, First Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Akaki Lodia, Director of Organizing Committee of the 2018 World Chess Olympiad and President of European Chess Union Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of Georgian Chess Federation Giorgi Giorgadze and Director of “Socar Georgia Petrolium” Levan Giorgadze spoke at press conference about the importance of the World Cup, the preparation and the participants of the tournament. Photo by Anastasia Kharlovich (fide.com)

All roads lead to Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia for the 2017 World Cup, a qualifying event involving 128 players from around the world. The world’s top 16 will headline a field which include one notable inclusion. One shocking detail is that World Champion Magnus Carlsen is participating in the tournament for the right to challenge himself! What if Carlsen or challenger Sergey Karjakin (who has automatic qualification) make the final? There would be another match to clinch the second qualification spot. So why is Carlsen playing? He gives his answer to chess.com.

Those seeking to challenge Carlsen must win this spot if they haven’t already qualified through the Grand Prix series or by rating. Levon Aronian, who has had a sensational year needs one of the top two spots to qualify as does Hikaru Nakamura and Viswanathan Anand since they probably will not qualify via rating or via Grand Prix. Aronian told The Chess Drum after winning the recent St. Louis Rapid and Blitz that he did not feel any pressure to win, but “likes his chances.”

Former women’s world champion Hou Yifan is one of two women in the field. Photo by Anastasia Kharlovich (fide.com).

Out of the eight finalists to challenge Carlsen in the Candidates tournament, Fabiano Caruana and Vladimir Kramnik will most likely qualify through rating while Shahkriyar Mamedyarov and Alexander Grischuk will most likely qualify via Grand Prix. If any of these players make the finals, the spot will go to the next player. There is one wildcard nomination that could go to a deserving player.

As far as the rest of the field, there are many interesting figures from around the world. There are two women including three-time women’s world champion, Hou Yifan. Reigning women’s champion Tan Zhongyi declined her invitation. Each region of the world is represented, but there are some notable omissions such as Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Leinier Dominguez (Cuba), and Dmitri Jakovenko (Russia). The youngest player is 16-year old International Master from Australia, Anton Smirnov.

There was of course a drawing of lots resulting in Carlsen starting with the white pieces against Nigeria’s Oluwafemi Balogun (2255). Balogun called the pairing an “honor” and a “once in a lifetime chance” to play the World Champion in a tournament. There are brackets with all of the pairings here and there are also sites with “bracketology” contests. The tournament is now in full swing and at this writing round one has been completed.

Other Details

The total prize fund is $1,600,000 (about €1,400,000) and the winner and runner up will qualify to the 2018 Candidates tournament to determine who will compete in the World Cup. Each of the matches will comprise of two game matches, plus tiebreaks, if necessary. The last standing after the previous rounds will enter a seventh round of four games, plus tiebreaks if necessary. Players receive 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

The inaugural event was launched in St. Louis on the tailend of the 2017 Sinquefield Cup won by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. It is hard to top such a strong field, but the intrigue was heightened when the 13th World Champion decided to play in the Grand Chess Tour. While he contends that his days of competitive chess are over, he dove headfirst into a field of elite players. Levon Aronian won the event in fine style with Sergey Karjakin and Hikaru Nakamura coming in second. After the event, The Chess Drum was able to get several interviews after the event was over. The legendary Yasser Seirawan was graciously enough to grant a very lengthy interview on a variety of topics.

GM Levon Aronian (Armenia) – Sometimes it’s best to get interview while players have a full perspective of their play. Aronian talked about his victory, Kasparov’s addition, his ambitions for the World Championship and his love for bughouse! It was the 3rd time that the Armenian has spoken to The Chess Drum audience and it is usually under victorious circumstances (2008 and 2012).

Interviewing Levon Aronian after the closing ceremonies.Photo by Peter Doggers

I was able to see Aronian play bughouse at the “chess house” and it is amazing the type of tactical patterns. When asked with this practical experience was helpful for tournament play, he had a very measured answer. The interview is short, but as usual Aronian leaves us with his usual cheerful persona!

GM Leinier Dominiguez (Cuba) – Cuba has a vibrant chess culture and it is very much a part of the national landscape. Everywhere you go, you see chess on the streets, in murals, in sculptures and even lessons on television. I was able to see this on my trip to Cuba back in 2011. In the latest Chess Life, Jacob Chudnovsky wrote and extensive article on the chess climate in Cuba. He mentioned that many of the top players got started at the Latin American Superior Insituation of Chess (ISLA) in Havana.

Dominguez gave a short interview to The Chess Drum and talked about his experience at the tournament and his trip to St. Louis, his third. Surprisingly, Dominguez will not compete in the World Chess Cup and said he will go on a sabbatical for several months. According to some reports, the Cuban maestro has requested a rest from the Cuban national team. There are some rumors circulating, but there was no indication that his hiatus is nothing but temporary.

GM Elshan Moradiabadi (USA)– Several years ago Moradiabadi was playing for the Iranian national team behind Eshan Ghaem Maghami. However, at age 16 he won the 2001 Iranian Chess Championship with +9 (10/11) ahead of Maghami. Elshan then went to the US to pursue studies after graduating from the prestigious Sharif University of Technology with e B.Sc degree in Chemical Engineering. Since then a couple of young players have emerged with Parham Maghsoodloo (17), now the country’s top player, and Pouya Idani (22) have taken over the baton.

GM Elshan Moradiabadi embraces his fiancee Sabina Foisor after she won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Championship.

Elshan and Sabina get the autograph of GM David Navara (Czech Republic)
Photos by Daaim Shabazz

In Febuary, Moradiabadi changed his federation to the USA after earning two advanced degrees at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He was originally recruited to the program by Susan Polgar, but when the SPICE program moved to Webster, he decided to stay because Webster did not have an engineering program. Fast forward, he served as Grandmaster-in-Residence at the St. Louis Chess Club at the time his fiancee Sabina Foisor won the title in an emotional triumph. Both are looking to start a new chapter in his life in the Raleigh-Durham area where they will be involved with teaching locally. He gave a brief interview to The Chess Drum and recounted his experiences in the US.

Taurus Bailey (USA) – Although a good percentage of the world follows every professional event on the elite circuit, it is a given that most chess players in the world are casual players with other professional lives. Bailey was in St. Louis to see the return of Garry Kasparov, but it should be known that he is also the manager of Maurice Ashley. As one can imagine, this would be a very demanding job as Ashley is a highly sought after commentator and speaker. The two met in social media after Bailey offered convincing arguments about Millionaire Chess catching the attention of Amy Lee and Maurice. He then provided consultation to the company on legal matters. A chess hobbyist, he practices civil law in a private practice.

The Chess Drum also got an interview with Hall of Famer Yasser Seirawan who had many things to say about the Grand Chess Tour, Kasparov’s appearance, the U.S. chess scene and many other topics. We will have a special segment for this interview. Stay tuned!